Badami

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Overview		Tourist Attraction		How to Reach

Introduction Badami is well known for its rich history and ancient architecture. It was the ancient capital of the early Chalukya kingdom. A number of richly carved monuments and caves belonging to Chalukyas, dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries can be found here. The Chalukyas laid the foundation of a unique style of architecture, which is a fine blend of North Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. The architecture and sculptures created in Badami during the time of the Chalukyas inspired later-day architectural and sculpting traditions. A number of places of historical importance are situated near Badami. It is famous for its cave temples carved out from soft sandstone hills, Badami is popularly regarded as the 'cradle of Temple Architecture'. Best Time To Travel October to February It is the gigantic carvings on the walls of the four cave temples that made Badami famous. Cave 1 This cave is dedicated to the deity who dominates is Shiva. Attended by his servant the dwarf Ganas, he is shown in many forms: as Natraja, The lord of the cosmic dance; as Ardhanareshwar, a half man, half woman aspect , as Bhuthanatha the God of Souls; and as lingam protected by hooded Cobra. Cave 2 Two stone doorkeepers guard the entrance to this cave dedicated to Vishnu. The huge sculptures portray him in some of his incarnations; including Krishna. The temples are full of beautiful sculptures of animals like Varaha (boar). Cave 3 Here the theme of Vishnu's incarnations continues. There are also some very beautiful though faded, frescos. Cave 4 This cave is honors Jain deities. The meditative figure in the shrine is Mahavir, the founder of Jainism and enormous large carving figure of Jain saint, Parshwanatha. Museum The Archaeological Museum is another tourist attraction, which houses some outstanding sculptures of the by gone era including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult. Introduction Badami is well known for its rich history and ancient architecture. It was the ancient capital of the early Chalukya kingdom. A number of richly carved monuments and caves belonging to Chalukyas, dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries can be found here. The Chalukyas laid the foundation of a unique style of architecture, which is a fine blend of North Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. The architecture and sculptures created in Badami during the time of the Chalukyas inspired later-day architectural and sculpting traditions. A number of places of historical importance are situated near Badami. It is famous for its cave temples carved out from soft sandstone hills, Badami is popularly regarded as the 'cradle of Temple Architecture'. Best Time To Travel October to February How To Reach Air There is no airport at Badami. The nearest airport is at Belgaum, 150 km away. Road The main bus stop is at Station Road, which is the main road of the town. The town of Badami is connected by road with Hubli, Bijapur and Bangalore (550 km). One can also take taxis to these places. Rail The nearest railhead is at Badami, which is 4 km from Badami town. The trains that stop here are mainly second-class passenger trains running between Gadag and Bijapur. The tickets for these trains can be acquired half an hour before their arrival. One can also catch trains from Bijapur (163 km) and Hubli (128 km), which are well connected by road to Badami.